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Artist Revisits Iconic Mural on the Drag

 

The former Tower Records building on The Drag is undergoing a renovation to house three new eateries, and owners are preserving the building's artwork, which has become a landmark for University of Texas students and Austinites.

Local artistFederico Archuleta created his first set of murals in 2003, at the intersection of 24th and Guadalupe. He used stencils and spray paint to portray iconic artists such as Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash.

New owners asked Archuleta to touch up his original murals before the reopening of the building. Last week, he revamped the art, which had become worn over time. He said he reinvented some of the artists like Johnny Cash and tied in symbolism and hopes passersby will notice.

This is the third time Archuleta repainted the murals, and he is wary of how long the stencils will last.

“I don’t know whether or not to recreate [the murals] or just say that 's it.  Whatever happens to the wall happens,” Archuleta told KUT News. “Maybe I can pass it on to a new graffiti generation.”

Daniel Reese is a photography intern at KUT News. He is a student at Ohio University.